Nook

Nook

Noun · /nʊk/

Definition

A corner or recess, especially one offering seclusion or security; a sheltered or hidden place; a small, comfortable, partially enclosed space — a reading nook, a breakfast nook.

Origin

From Middle English nok, noke (a corner, an angle), probably from a Scandinavian source — Old Norse hnokr (hook, peg) or related forms, or possibly from a dialectal form related to Old English hnecca (neck, nape — the angled part at the back of the head). The word appearing in Scottish and Northern English dialect from the fourteenth century before spreading into standard English. The phrase nooks and crannies — small hidden spaces and gaps — being one of the most familiar compounds, with cranny coming from Old French cran (a notch or gap).